In the past year, the HP Anti-Counterfeit and Fraud (ACF) team has been busy. Charged with protecting customers from buying low-quality or fraudulent HP products, the HP ACF team has confiscated more than 3.5 million fraudulent print products, parts and components – including large numbers of ink and toner cartridges – across Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Asia-Pacific (APAC) and the Americas.
Original HP products are designed to meet HP’s strict quality, reliability and sustainability standards, based on a long history of innovation, research and testing. Counterfeit products are not only illegal but can cause a multitude of problems that can result in performance and reliability issues. Should an HP printer break because of a counterfeit ink or toner cartridge, the damage to the printer will not be covered by HP’s limited warranty.
“Counterfeiters are increasingly turning to the online space to sell their fraudulent wares” said Guillaume Gerardin, global head and general manager of print supplies at HP. “As a result, it’s becoming more difficult for customers to identify counterfeit cartridges at the point of purchase. This is why it’s so important that HP continues to work with online marketplaces to help spot and remove listings for counterfeit products, as well as track down the source of these goods.”
HP takes counterfeiting seriously
Between November 2020 and October 2021, HP confiscated 646,000counterfeit print products across EMEA, an additional 400,000 across the Americas, and a further 2.5 million across the APAC region.
For example, between December 2020 and April 2021, Emirati authorities conducted three major raids on several large-scale counterfeiting storage facilities in the emirates of Dubai and Ajman. The resulting seizures saw local officials confiscate over 207,000 illicit items from various storage sites, preventing their unlawful sale within the UAE.
Bad actors have already made amarked shift to online trading of counterfeit supplies.This trend has been further exacerbated by COVID-19, with HP increasing its online de-listings by 19% year-over-year.HP works with online marketplaces and other online third-party organisations to put more stringent procedures in place on sites to identify infringing products or sellers.
COVID-19 continued to impact HP’s ability to collaborate closely with law enforcement, but identification measures moved online where possible with virtual Customer Delivery Inspections (CDIs) and Channel Partner Protection Audits (CPPAs). 1,191 CPPAs were conducted in FY21, an increase of 11% on FY20. Virtual inspections and audits supported the ACF team in identifying and delisting over 224,000 illegitimate HP online offers globally.
“When vendors, partners, distributors and local law enforcement work closely together, we can reduce the instances of fake print products coming to market, said Vishnu Taimni, Vice President & Managing Director of Middle East, Turkey, and East Africa at HP. “As pandemic restrictions are lifted and employees resume going into office, IT decision makers must remain vigilant and wary of cheap office products flooding the market that could be counterfeits. The Combating Counterfeit Products Act and Customer Delivery Inspections can help identify and ensure fakes cartridges and components never reach the end user.”
HP also invests in training and educating on anti-counterfeiting matters through online events, reaching millions of partners, stakeholders, and customers to date.
Hallmarks of genuine HP cartridges
HP has produced more than 3.9 billion Original HP ink and toner cartridges that contain recycled plastic. Today more than 80% of Original HP ink cartridges and 100% of Original HP toner cartridges are now manufactured with recycled content. Through HP Planet Partners, the company’s return and recycling program, HP has recycled more than 875 million cartridges since the program began nearly 30 years ago and has expanded it to 68 countries.
HP Instant Ink and Managed Print Services provide customers with a safe and hassle-free way of ensuring they always receive authentic, high-performance print supplies. Here’s what to look for when differentiating between genuine HP cartridges and counterfeits:
- Check the label. Identify the holographic security label on the box and make sure that as you move it back and forth, and up and down, the color changes, or the “OK” and “√” move across the label.
- Scan the code.Use the HP SureSupply app or a generic QR code reader to scan the QR code on the cartridge’s security seal.If you cannot capture QR codes with a smartphone, validate online.
- Report counterfeit.Help us fight counterfeit by reporting it on com